As was to be expected, the controversy between the Social-Democrats and
the Cadets on the question of the right of nations to self-determination
has aroused the interest of Novoye Vremya. In issue No. 13563,
this mouthpiece of Great-Russian nationalism writes:

“What to Social-Democrats is an axiom of political
wisdom [i. e., recognition of the right of nations to self-determination,
to secession], is today beginning to cause disagreement even among the
Cadets.”

Despite this Black-Hundred dig at the liberals (the word “even”),
Novoye Vremya is compelled to quote the Rech statement
that “the Cadets have never undertaken to defend the right of nations to
secede from the Russian state”.

This statement is so forthright that Novoye Vremya is
compelled to prevaricate. It writes:

“Judging by the facts, the loose concept of cultural
self-determination evidently differs, from the Cadets’ point of view, from
the advocacy of separatism, only in its mode of operation.”

ButNovoye Vremya understands perfectly well the difference
between the absurd “cultural”, and real, i. e., political,
self-determination, for further on we read:

“Indeed, the Cadets have never pledged themselves to
advocate the right of nations to secede from the Russian state ... except
by the immeasurably more polished method of accepting subsidies for their
press organs from non-Russians and Jews.”

The old, crude and ridiculous Black-Hundred device of taunting the
liberals for receiving assistance from the Jews! But we must not allow
these silly little tricks to obscure the main thing: and the main thing is
that Novoye Vremya,
in admitting that the Cadets have never undertaken to defend the right
to secede, has come to fully realise the difference between the
Social-Democrats and the Cadets.

The difference between the Constitutional-Democrats and the
Social-Democrats is the distinction between national-liberals and
consistent democrats.